In June my mom and my sister use some red henna stuff on their hair. It was really funny - their hair turned orange. Well, my mom must have liked it cause she wanted me to take her to the store and get some more so she could do it again. On the drive, Mom told me some stuff I never knew. Mom majored in Home Ec and minored in Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin - well, I knew that... She went on a 4-H scholarship she won for her gardening. I knew that too... It was during WWII For the sewing end of her program she sewed on an antique (back then) hand crank chain stitch sewing machine. She said it was a relic back then - it was all she had and the best she could afford. The teacher and all the other students laughed at her machine and made jokes. But then she said they couldn't find fault with her sewing. She said she learned on it and sewed on it and got herself through college. Then she bought a Singer FW in 1950 - then she thought she died and went to heaven. When I was a kid, I remember her saying she wished that FW did zig zag. Didn't know you could get attachments. She has an old button hole maker but I don't remember if she ever figured it out. My mom never made a quilt that I know of. She mostly sewed everything our family wore - well, except for Dad's stuff that I know of was sewed on that FW. There were times when things got rough and she used to re-purpose things as long ago as I can remember. Her finest was an old coat. Someone dropped off a bag of old clothes and she pulled out a geenormous old red/green/blue/gold ancient wool plaid coat - she turned it into a jacket I still compare coats to it... My sisters wore it too. We all say it was our favorite coat - sure was ugly... but in northern Wisconsin all we cared was it was warm...